Level Up Legacy

1173  Plan to Overthrow

The statue was depicted from a real-life event: the battle against greed. Arthur was falling from the sky, and the one meeting his rage was none other than Amelio, depicted as a demon rather than a human.

Although there was a difference in their size, Arthur emerged victorious as his fist went through the demon's chest. The statues were made of white marble, but the shadows made them so lifelike that onlookers would feel their blood boil.

On the base of the statue, a phrase was written. It said: "This is where the calamity was struck down by Arthur Netherborne, where gods were slain and monsters rose."

Arthur saw the similarity between the invitation and this phrase, making him reassured that he reached the right place. As he pocketed the invitation, a man passed by and handed him a small note. His movements were so low-profile that no one noticed in the bustling crowd. Arthur read the note.

"Where the clock points south."

Arthur was confused as he looked around, only to find a clock tower visible in the square. The time was still 5:45, and Arthur understood that the meeting would happen there as the Hour Hand pointed south. He still had fifteen minutes.

Arthur made his way to the clock tower, only to find that this building was new in Kera. The battle that happened here three months ago demolished everything in the vicinity, so this tower was new and out of place.

Even still, no one seemed to mind its existence or even acknowledge it. Arthur saw that the alleys leading to it were desolate, and he was the only person heading toward the tower. As soon as he arrived there, he found several figures hiding in the shadows.

This was too elaborate for a group of awakeners. There was a mastermind behind this, and it must be the one who signed the letter N to the invitation. Arthur found an entrance to the tower, knocked twice, when someone opened the door and demanded the invitation with a gruff voice.

Arthur gave them the invitation. After a few moments, the door opened, and behind it was a staircase. No one was behind the door, and it closed after Arthur entered the clock tower. Then, he began climbing up the stairs until reaching a small room with a one glass wall.

Inside the room was a couch, some refreshments, and a small microphone. Arthur raised an eye at the anonymous arrangement. The show began before he could sit, and a voice came from the holes in the glass wall.

"Welcome, to the seekers of freedom," said a feminine voice as lights shone from behind the glass. Arthur walked toward it and looked at the scene. Beneath the giant clock hanging in the air was a large stage, with lights focusing on a single figure.

It was a woman wearing a mask and long, modest robes that hid her identity. Her robes were white with golden engravings of doves and trees. She was elegant, but that told Arthur that this woman was a noble.

"As everyone's time is precious, I shall not hold back any details. We are just a few short days away from the new era that we have envisioned. Those here has received the invitation to be a part of that era, where tyranny is no longer present in our nation."

Arthur squinted his eyes at her words, as he knew they meant more than just a movement for change. These people wanted to overthrow the crown and start a new nation.

"In our new nation, for those here for the first time, there will be no borders to separate the three kingdoms of the Yalveran Union. Yalen will no longer be the winner in the façade of equality. Everyone here will have a part in the upcoming war, and the rewards that follow. Please remain seated as I come and visit you one by one."

After that, the lights went out. The glass wall turned into a giant mirror, which Arthur saw his reflection in as a cloaked man sitting on the couch. He thought that he would be left here waiting for a long time, but the door was knocked just a few moments later.

"May we come inside?" asked the feminine voice from outside. Arthur answered her and said she may. The door opened and two people came into the room. Arthur was surprised to see one of them being the woman from earlier, and the other was a masked man with ginger hair and gray suit. Arthur recognized one of them as Markus from earlier today, but not the other.

"Greetings, good sir," said the woman with a bow. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. Please make yourself comfortable and have some refreshments."

"No need to be polite," said Arthur beneath the hood as he gestured for them to sit. The woman bowed again and walked to sit on the chair, while Markus sat beside him on the couch. "I barely waited, which is odd."

Arthur suspected Markus would figure out his identity again, but the man was humble and looked down. There were also no mana fluctuations inside this entire place, making him feel at ease. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"The invitation that you received was from one of the highest ranks, given to those who are deemed worthy of leading this rebellion. While I do not know who gave that invitation to you, I have reasons to believe that it was stolen from my friend here, who lost the sole invitation that he had."

"That makes sense," said Arthur with a smile, which surprised the woman as she froze. Even though he was just accused of stealing, Arthur remained calm and unflustered. "Your friend here doesn't remember how he lost it because I erased his memories."

The two were alarmed and surprised, making them look at Arthur with tilted heads bespeaking their confusion. Markus was about to use a runic card, but the woman stopped him as she leaned closer to Arthur.

"How did you know what the invitation was, then? It cannot be read unless the person who gave it infused his mana into the invitation." asked the woman with caution. Arthur smiled and placed one leg over the other as he leaned back.

"I did not force him to give me the invitation," said Arthur as he looked at Markus. "He begged me to take it even if I erased his memories. I just wanted to see what this is about."

Arthur and his nonchalant attitude seemed to reinforce the credibility of his story. The two gazed at him with their masked faces, but their pondering silence was loud. In the end, Markus lowered his hand from the runic artifact on his belt.

"How can we trust you?"

"You cannot trust me, but you can trust the cherry blossoms," said Arthur with a deep, convincing voice. After the words came out, the other two seemed to be at ease.

"Thank you for confirming your identity, sir," said the woman with a bow. "If my friend here trusted you this much, then I have no reason to doubt anymore. But all alliances must start with trust."

"Alliances?" asked Arthur as he tilted his head in confusion. "You think that you are worthy of having me as an ally?"

His question was not just overbearing but insulting. Arthur looked down on them despite their grand gestures and fancy meetings. This was not to antagonize them but to see their reaction.

"We don't think so, we know that much," said the woman with calm and a playful tone. Arthur smiled when he saw them retain their composure. An arrogant and incompetent leader would have been enraged, while a good one would have been confident.

"You plan on rebelling against the crown. Do you know what you are facing?" asked Arthur with a smile. "The Yalen Family are seers, who could foresee this before it even begins. Even as we speak right now, they could be watching."

"We have a method of preventing that," said the woman with confidence. "If you would kindly reveal your face, I can be able to trust you enough to reveal the details. Even after I tell my secrets, you can decide against helping us."

"I would never reveal my face."

"I understand your concern for safety, but trust is necessary to…"

"Please understand, miss, that I don't have any safety concerns. My identity would make things a lot more complicated for everyone involved, and my presence here will threaten people I care about. I do want to see the Yalen King headless, but I can do that on my own."

His strong speech and confidence shocked them speechless. Arthur was not just here to judge their plans for overthrowing the crown; he even revealed his own intentions of killing the king!

After several moments of hesitation, the two looked at each other with both hesitation and concern. Arthur gave them no method of trusting him or a method to make him trust them. Before things reached an unsolvable scenario, Arthur made a suggestion.

"How about we use a lie detector artifact to test each other's intentions and work with our identities hidden afterward?"